Sol 6.1

  1. خَليلَيَّ باعُ الدَهرِ بِالعُرفِ ضَيِّقٌ

    عَلى كُلِّ ذي عَقلٍ وَبِالنُكرِ واسِعُ

    My two friends, fate's reach in kindness is short

    toward all who possess reason, but in ill-dealing it is wide.

  2. وَواقِعُ نُعماهُ عَنِ الحُرِّ طائِرٌ

    وَطائِرُ بَلواهُ عَلى الحُرِّ واقِعُ

    And its settled bounty flies away from the noble,

    while its flying affliction alights upon the noble.

  3. مَتى ما يُصِبني بِالقَوارِعِ طَرفُهُ

    أَصابَتهُ هِمّاتي وَهُنَّ قَوارِعُ

    Whenever its gaze strikes me with calamities,

    my ambitions strike it, and they are crushing blows.

  4. وَهِمّاتُ مِثلي لِلخُطوبِ جَوالِبٌ

    كَما أَنَّهُنَّ لِلخُطوبِ دَوافِعُ

    And the ambitions of one like me draw calamities,

    just as they drive calamities away.

  5. تُريكَ اِشتِعالاً بِالنُجومِ طَوالِعاً

    وَهُنَّ إِذا لاحَت نُجومٌ طَوالِعُ

    They show you a blaze as they rise among the stars,

    and when they appear, they are rising stars.

  6. وَتُزري عَلى البيضِ الطَوالِعُ إِن مَضَت

    وَهُنَّ عَلى العِلّاتِ بيضٌ قَواطِعُ

    And those rising ambitions put bright swords to shame if they press on,

    and despite all flaws, they are bright, cleaving swords.

  7. تَخافُنِيَ الأَيّامُ وَهيَ تُخيفُني

    وَلِلنَكسِ تَهديدٌ إِذا ريعَ رائِعُ

    The days fear me even as they frighten me,

    and even a weakling can threaten when a fearsome one is frightened.

  8. وَلَو كُنَّ في عَينَي لَما قَذِيَت بِها

    فَكَيفَ تَرى أَنّي إِذا صُلنَ خاشِعُ

    And even if they were in my eyes, my eyes would not be irritated by them;

    so how can you think I am submissive when they assail?

  9. أَتَطلُعُ مِنها في دِياري طَوالِعٌ

    بِسوءٍ وَهِمّاتي عَلَيها طَلائِعُ

    Do their forerunners appear in my lands

    bringing harm, while my ambitions are scouts against them?

  10. يُقارِعُ مِنّي باسِلاً ذا حَفيظَةٍ

    يَقومُ إِزاءَ النَصرِ حينَ يُقارَعُ

    It confronts, in me, a valiant man, zealous for his honor,

    who stands facing victory when challenged.

  11. فَتى بِأَتَمِّ الفَضلِ لَيسَ بِقانِعِ

    وَلَكِن بِأَدنى بُلغَةِ العَيشِ قانِعُ

    A young man not content with the fullest excellence,

    but content with the barest sustenance of life.

  12. فَما صَحِبَتهُ لِلأَنامِ صَنيعَةٌ

    وَيَصحُبُهُم مِنهُ وَفيهِ صَنائِعُ

    For no favor from humankind has accompanied him,

    while favors from him and in him accompany them.

  13. وَلَم يَتَواضَع في مُصاداةِ مِنَّةٍ

    وَكُلُّ مُصادي مِنَّةٍ مُتَواضِعُ

    Nor has he humbled himself in courting a favor,

    and all who court a favor humble themselves.

  14. لَهُ شَرَفٌ في آلِ ساسانِ باذِخٌ

    وَذِكرٌ بِأَطرافِ البَسيطَةِ شائِعُ

    He has lofty nobility in the house of Sasan,

    and renown spread to the ends of the earth.

  15. تُؤَدِّبُهُ الأَيّامُ حينَ تَضُرُّهُ

    وَكَم ضَرَرٍ لِلمَرءِ فيهِ مَنافِعُ

    The days discipline him when they harm him,

    and many a harm holds benefits for a man.

  16. وَما ضاعَ مِثلي حَيثُ حَلَّت رِكابُهُ

    بَلى حَيثُ ضاعَ المَجدُ مِثلِيَ ضائِعُ

    And one like me is never lost wherever his mounts halt;

    but yes—where glory is lost, one like me is lost.

  17. وَمِثلِيَ مَخضوعٌ لَهُ غَيرَ أَنَّهُ

    إِذا كانَ مَجهولَ الفَضائِلِ خاضِعُ

    And one like me is bowed to, except that he,

    when his merits are unknown, is submissive.

  18. وَمِثلِيَ مَتبوعٌ عَلى كُلِّ حالَةٍ

    فَإِن يَنقَلِب وَجهُ الزَمانِ فَتابِعُ

    And one like me is followed in every circumstance;

    but if the face of time turns, then he is a follower.